Unhairing-machine.



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PATENTED JULY 21. 1908.

M. A. POWERS. UNHAIRING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 0013.28. 1907.

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No. 894,050. 7 PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. M. A. POWERS.

UNHAIRING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 28,1907. v

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6. 4W Z y PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

M. A. POWERS. UNHAIRING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 0GT.28, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ornnon MARTIN A. POWERS, OF WINCHESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHAS. H. STEHLING 00., OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

UNHAIRING-MACHINE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN A. PowERs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Winchester, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Unhairing Machines, of which'thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to unhairing machines, and has for its principalobject to provide a novel form of gripping device for gripping andfeeding the hide while it is acted on by the knife.

I will first describe one embodiment of my invention and then point outthe novel features thereof in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a machine embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section thereof; Fig. 8 is afront View of the machine with a portion broken out; Fig. 4 is a detailof the'clutch for operating the machine.

2 is a fixed framework which may have any suitable shape adapted tosupport the operative parts of the machine. Mounted on this framework insuitable bearings is a rotary knife 3 which operates to cut the hairfrom the hide. The knife may be driven by a suitable pulley 4 which isfast on one end of the shaft of the knife. Pivoted to the frame 2 is aswinging frame 5 which carries the presser-roll 6 and the feed roll 7.The presser-roll may have any suitable or usual construction, and isshown as yieldingly -mounted in its bearings, it being held in normalposition by suitable springs 84. This presser-roll is arranged to holdthe hide against the knife while the hair is being cut therefrom, all asusual in. machines 'of this character. The swinging frame 5 is arrangedto be swung to the left, as shown in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines Fig. 2,so as to permit a hide to be placed over the feed roll 7, and when ahide has been so placed, the frame is swung to the right into the fullline position, Fi 2, to bring the hide into position to be actec on bythe knife 3.

The parts thus far described are or may be of any suitable or usualconstruction and form no part of my present invention.

In my improved machine the hide is drawn through the machine by means ofgripping or feeding rollers 7, 8, 8. The roller 7 is Patented July 21,1908, Serial No. 399,456.

mounted on the swinging frame 5, as above stated, but the two rollers 8are mounted in fixed bearings 9 carried by the frame 2, said rollerspreferably being yieldingly sustained in their bearings and held intheir normal position by springs 10. The roller 7 is provided on itsperiphery with a plurality of longitudinally-extending recesses 1 1, andthe two rollers 8 are provided with correspondinglyshaped projections 12which extend longitudinally thereof and are adapted to enter therecesses 11 as the rollers rotate.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the cross-sectional shape ofthe bottom of the grooves 11 is the arc of a circle, and the projections12 are also circular in crosssectional shape, the curvature of thembeing such as to substantially fit that of the grooves.

I have herein shown the roller 7 as having six grooves 11 and each ofthe rollers 8 as having three longitudinal projections 12.

When the frame 5 is swung forwardly, as shown in full lines Fig. 2, andthe rollers 7, 8, 8, are rotated, the projections 12 on the rollers 8, 8will enter the grooves 11 on the roller 7, as plainly seen in Fig. 2.The two rollers 8 are geared so as to rotate together and are sopositioned relative to each other that they cooperate alternately withthe roller 7, by which I mean that when a projection on one roller 8 isco-acting with the roller 7, the projections on the other roller 8 areout of engagement with the roller 7. feeding rollers 7, 8, 8, thisconstruction, a very firm grip on the hide is secured which willeffectively draw it through the machine without danger of slipping.

The two rollers 8 may be made in any suitable way. I have herein shownthe proj ections 12 as being formed of sections of tubing which aresupported on the shaft 13 of said roller at proper distances by arms 14.

For rotating the gripping rollers I have provided the followingmechanism: Fixed on the shaft of the knife 3 is a gear 15 which isadapted to mesh with a gear 16 supported in a suitable bracket 62fixedly carried by the main frame 2. Rigid with the gear 16 is a gear 17which is adapted to mesh with a gear 18 fast on the shaft 19 of theroller 7. These gears may all be situated outside of the frame 2. Theshaft 19 of the roller 7 has fast there.- on a gear wheel 20 which isadapted to mesh with a. similar wheel 21 fast on the shaft 13 of Bygiving the to mesh with a cam gear 28.

' the same Fig. 1 the gear 18 is carriec out of mesh with -nna the gear17 and thegear 20 is also carried out of mesh with the gear 21 so thatthe feeding rollers will be idle, the only rotating parts being thepositively driven knife and th? gears 15, 16 and 17. The hide to beunhaired is thrown over the feeding roller 7 when the frame is swunginto its dotted line position, Fig. 2, said hide hanging down betweenthe presser-roller 6 and the knife 3. When the frame 5 is swung into thefull line position, Fig. 2, the gear 18 is brought into mesh with thegear 17 and the wheel 20 is also brought into mesh with the wheel 21,and the gripping rollers will then be set in rotation thereby to feedthe hide through the machine as will be obvious. I have also providedmeans for automatically swinging the frame 5 from the full to the dottedline position and vice versa. As herein shown said frame 5 has an arm 26extending therefrom at each end of the machine, each of which armscarries a pinion 27 that'is adapted The two cam gears are situated ateither end of the frame 2 and each is pivoted thereto at 29 and haspivotal connection with a link 30 which eX- tends to a crank 31. One ofthe cranks 31 has a gear 310 thereon which meshes with a pinion 32carried on a cross shaft 33 supported by the frame. This arrangement issuch that when the cranks 31 make one half revolution suflicient toswing the cam gears 28 upwardly, said gears by acting on the pinions 27will throw the frame 5 forwardly into the full line position Fig. 2,while when the cranks 31 make the other half revolution thereby to swingthe cam gears 28 downwardly, the frame 5 is permitted to swingbackwardly either under the influence of suitable springs or by gravity.The gears 32, 310, are two to one gears so that each complete rotationof the shaft 33 will give the cranks 31 a one-half rotation.

I have provided herein a suitable means for driving the shaft 33 whichwill bring said shaft to rest after it has made each complete revolutionso that when the machine is started with the frame 5 thrown back intothe dotted line position, Fig. 2, theshaft 33 and cranks 31 will bebrought to rest after said cranks have made their half revolutionsufficient to throw the frame 5 into its upright position, and similarlyafter the hide has been fed out from the machine and the shaft 33 is setin rotation again, the cranks 31 will be brought to rest as soon as theparts have been swung into the dotted line posimight be employed, 1 haveherein shown one which comprises a sleeve 36 rigid with the pinion 32and having pivoted thereto a radially-extending arm 37 which is adaptedto engage any one of a plurality of notches 38 disk 39 that is looselymounted on the shaft 33. Said disk has a hub 40 whichcarries asprocketwheel 41, and said sprocket wheel is driven by a chain 42 whichpasses fidund a sprocket wheel 43 fast on stud which supports the gears16 and 17. Since the said gears are running continously the sleeve 40and the clutch member 39 will be running continuously. So long as thearm 37, which constitutes the other clutch member, is held out ofengagement with any of the notches 38, the clutch will be inactive, butas soon as said arm is permitted to engage in any one of the notches,the clutch will be rendered active and the crank disk 31 will be set inoperation. The arm 37 is backed by a spring 45 tending to force ittoward the disk 39 and when the parts are at rest and the clutch isdisengaged, said arm is held out of engagement with the disk 39 by a camledge 47 which is carried by an arm 48 pivoted to the frame of themachine at 49. This arm has connected thereto a flexible connection 50which runs over a direction convenience is herein shown as looselysupported on the shaft 33. When the treadle is depressed, the arm 48 iselevated, thereby carrying the cam ledge 47 out of engagement with thearm 37, as shown in Fig. 4, and permitting the spring 45 to throw saidarm 37 into engagement with the disk 39. The clutch is then started inoperation and if the treadle is released as soon as the clutch is inoperation, the lever 48 will drop into the full line position Fig. 1,thereby bringing the cam ledge 47 into the path of movement of the arm37 as the'clutch completes its first rotation so that as said arm 37enga "es the cam ledge, it will be thrown to the rig t Fig. 3 out ofengagement with the disk 39 thus disengaging the clutch.

While I have only described one embodiment of my invention 1 do not wishto be limited thereto.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In an unhairing machine, the combinationwith a rotary knife, of a swinging frame, a feeding roller carriedthereby, said roller having longitudinal grooves and a cooperatingfeeding roller mounted in fixed bearings, said last-named roller havinglongitudinal projections to enter the grooves of the grooved roller.

2. In an unhairing machine, the combination with a fixedframe, of arotary knife tion Fig. 2.

While any suitable one-revolution clutch mounted thereon, a pair offeeding rollers also mounted thereon, each feeding roller pulley 51 andleads to a treadle 52 which for having projections extendinglongitudinally thereof, a swinging frame pivoted to the fixed frame, anda feeding roller carried thereby and having longitudinally-extendinggrooves.

3. In an unhairing machine, the combination with a fixed frame, of arotary knife mounted thereon, a pair of feeding rollers also mountedthereon, each feeding roller having projections extending longitudinallythereof, which projections are convexly curved in cross section, aswinging frame pivoted to the fixed frame, and a feeding roller carriedthereby and having longitudinally extending grooves which areconcavelycurved in cross section.

4. In an unhairing machine, the combination with a fixed frame, of arotary knife mounted thereon, a pair of feeding rollers also mountedthereon, each feeding roller having projections extending longitudinallythereof, which projections are convexly curved in cross section, aswinging frame pivoted to the fixed frame, a feeding roller carriedthereby and having longitudinally-extending grooves which are ooncavelycurved in cross section, and means to rotate the firstnamed feedingrollers so that they act alternately on the last-named feeding rollers.

5. In an unhairing machine, the combination with a fixed frame, of arotary knife carried thereby, a swinging frame carrying a feeding rollerand a presser roller, said frame having an arm provided with a gear, apivoted cam gear adapted to mesh with said gear, and means for operatingthe cam gear.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN A. POWERS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. DRUMMOND, Louis 0. SMITH.

